Non contact voltage testers

[480 Live]

I was wondering about non contact voltage tester. Anyone have good or bad experiences? Looking for something to use when you come across the touch safe covers, most test holes don?t allow a conventional tester to reach a contact point.

Thanks

 

[barbeer]

I have had them, many brands, I have used them......I still don't trust them.

 

[mattsilkwood]

i have a fluke ac1 or something like that and have never had a problem it. a valuable tool to have imo

 

[nakulak]

as long as you test the tester every time your life depends on it its fine (dead battery/broken tester can ruin your day)

 

[mattsilkwood]

thats what i like about the fluke it flashes as long as its on and the battery is good. stops flashing dont use it

 

[JohnJ0906]

I think they should be called "Non-contact voltage indicators" Although they are useful in some instances, I don't use them where I will be working on something. I use a tester - DMM or wiggy.

Don't trust your life to one of those things.

 

[480sparky]

I keep one in my shirt pocket all day long.

It has it's uses, but don't trust it with your life.

 

[mdshunk]

I was wondering about non contact voltage tester. Anyone have good or bad experiences? Looking for something to use when you come across the touch safe covers, most test holes don’t allow a conventional tester to reach a contact point.

Don't tell anyone I told you this....

I take my long skinny straight screwdriver, and poke it in to touch the terminal, then put the volt ticker up to the screwdriver shaft. I'm sure that's not the recommended procedure. :wink:

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

A volt tick is good for testing for the presence of voltage, but not as reliable for testing of no voltage.


What I mean by that is this:
When using a volt tic (non contact voltage tester) and it shows the presence of voltage, then you can trust that most likely there is voltage present. When using the volt tic and it does not show the presence of voltage, I would then take out my voltage tester, whether it is a wiggy or DMM and properly test to make sure there is a lack of voltage.

 

[busman]

I'm afraid I don't understand the preference for the wiggy. I have one. I love it. But, it relies on a connected neutral or ground to work. If you have an open neutral or ground, you could have a hot wire and no indication. On the other hand, I have used the VoltAlert sticks for years and have yet to encounter a hot conductor that it didn't indicate. Now it certainly shows hot many times when it is just a capacitive voltage, but I would rather get a false positive than a false negative. Just my experience.

Bottom line:

Wiggy to insure there REALLY is voltage
VoltAlert to insure the REALLY isn't voltage

Mark

 

[480sparky]

Don't tell anyone I told you this....

I take my long skinny straight screwdriver, and poke it in to touch the terminal, then put the volt ticker up to the screwdriver shaft. I'm sure that's not the recommended procedure. :wink:

Do you suit up in arc flash PPE for that?

 

[weressl]

A volt tick is good for testing for the presence of voltage, but not as reliable for testing of no voltage.


What I mean by that is this:
When using a volt tic (non contact voltage tester) and it shows the presence of voltage, then you can trust that most likely there is voltage present. When using the volt tic and it does not show the presence of voltage, I would then take out my voltage tester, whether it is a wiggy or DMM and properly test to make sure there is a lack of voltage.

Well, the old rule was - and still is - that one test their meter, instrument gizmo, etc. on a LIVE circuit before trying to identify the non-energized circuit.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Mark,
There are cases where your noncontact tester will give a false negative. The most common is a cable with a paper filler like found in NM. If the paper is wet these type of testers will often show no voltage where there is real voltage. This effect only occurs very close to the wet paper, but it is something to watch out for.
Don

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Well, the old rule was - and still is - that one test their meter, instrument gizmo, etc. on a LIVE circuit before trying to identify the non-energized circuit.

I agree with that statement, yet so few follow it. There are a lot of guys who do use the "volt tic" type tester and I have seen what happens when they trust the volt tic ...

 

[busman]

Mark,
There are cases where your noncontact tester will give a false negative. The most common is a cable with a paper filler like found in NM. If the paper is wet these type of testers will often show no voltage where there is real voltage. This effect only occurs very close to the wet paper, but it is something to watch out for.
Don

Don,

I should have been more specific. I don't trust the VoltAlert up against cables. Only single conductors or bare metal parts.

An interesting side note: I have noticed that the non-contact testers will light up at great distances (6 inches or more) on circuits running fluorescent lights. I think it must be related to the harmonics?

Mark

 

[nyerinfl]

Has failure of anyones wiggy actually ever resulted in a shock? I've been using it for years, it's never failed me, I love it and I trust it (at least for 120v).

 

[jim dungar]

An interesting side note: I have noticed that the non-contact testers will light up at great distances (6 inches or more) on circuits running fluorescent lights. I think it must be related to the harmonics?

It is because of the EMI/RFI given off by the fluorescent light, it has nothing to do with harmonics. Non-contact testers work by sensing the "electric field" around an energized conductor.

 

[busman]

I wasn't implying that the Wiggy doesn't work (especially if you test on a known live circuit, as we all should). I just meant that the Wiggy relies on a voltage difference between the conductor you are testing and the reference conductor. If the reference conductor is not a reliable ground, then the Wiggy won't read the correct voltage to ground.

Mark

 

[JohnBell915]

I do AirHandler, chiller & cooling tower change outs for companies like carrier and johnson controls / york . About a month ago we done a airhandler change out and the carrier tech was using his tic tracer to find "hot" wires in conduits on the unit to demo.............

BUT!! he was running the tic tracer down the outside of the conduits.... and he said "nope its all dead!" i said you might wanna open that j-box and touch it to a wire!!!

sure enough it was energized! he was goona cut it....

you need to know how and when to use these devices. They can be very dangerous in the wrong hands..

Thanks! and work safe.

 

[realolman]

For what it's worth: (maybe nothing)

When I was a lineman they had one on the end of a long handle and called it an idiot stick:smile:

The fluke is only spec.'d for above 90 volts Alternating current